How to build muscle with a fast metabolism?
I have a fast metabolism, so I just eat whatever for the most part and I stay scrawny. I have been around 120lbs for a long time now, and I’m 5’8”. You can see my ribs. I’m wondering what I can do to help build some muscle – I don’t want a LOT of muscle; I’m not interested in bodybuilding. I just want to be toned, with some definition. Any information would be greatly helpful, but I’m specifically wondering about supplements, like whey protein and creatine powders. Do they help? And do they help permanently, or is it a matter of only helping as long as you continue using them?
Oh, also, any suggestions on what to eat would be great too. And when to eat before/after workouts, how long to workout for, when to take supplements, etc. Basically a crash course on working out. Thanks.
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My best advice regarding supplements is to stay away. Eat regular whole foods (not processed crap), and eat as much as you want. You are apparently naturally thin – learn to love it. I have never much cared for muscle mass either. I’m 5’9” and 150lbs.
I do yoga daily (power vinyasa style). Vinyasa is a style that puts a lot of emphasis of building strength in addition to flexibility. With yoga, you are not using weights, so the mass is not gained, but you get long lean muscles. Also, the definition and tone is amazing.
Please note your age, because the advice for someone who is still growing will be different than for someone over 21.
Just be careful. I was 6’3” 175lbs when I started trying to bulk up, I worked out 6 days a week and never got anywhere so eventually started creatine loading and taking a handful of supplements. Eventually I was 200lbs and very happy with how big I was getting, until I got an injury that kept me from heavy weight training. Even though I stopped taking the supplements immediately the damage had been done and over the course of the following 8 months it took me to recover I gained another 40lbs of weight that I didn’t want.
It took me nearly a year and a half to loose that weight from my injury and the whole time all I could think was I wish my metabolism was what it used to be. So be careful, you metabolism is on your side don’t fight it too hard.
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Long story short: Lift heavier. The weight you lift should limit you to 4–5 reps per set with PROPER FORM. Again, you should be able to lift or curl the weight only 4–5 times with proper form. This also means you must INCREASE the number of sets you do to allow you to meet your normal repetition output. Do not decrease your normal rep output.
Again: Heavier weight. Less reps. More sets.
Take a good amount of protein every day. The amount of protein you have to take per day depends on your weight. For more exercise tips, check out menshealth.com.
@Link Didn’t know that about the less reps thing. I’ll have to give that a try. Thanks!
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